Ethan groaned as he stirred, the scent of blood still thick in the air.
His body no longer ached. Instead, a strange energy pulsed through him, as if a dam had burst open inside his veins. His fingers curled. The ring on his hand glowed faintly. “What the hell…” A flood of knowledge crashed into his mind—techniques, movements, abilities far beyond his understanding. His breath hitched. It was as if an ancient force had awakened within him. Before he could process it, a snarl echoed through the dimly lit cage. The dogs. Their once-aggressive stance wavered. One by one, they whimpered and backed away, their heads lowering. "They’re… bowing? To me?" His heart pounded. He took a cautious step forward. The strongest of the pack—a monstrous black hound with piercing red eyes—let out a low growl, but it wasn’t threatening. It was submissive. A grin tugged at Ethan’s lips. Whatever had changed within him… it was real. A sharp gust of wind swept through the cage, carrying the distant sound of helicopter blades slicing through the air. Ethan tensed. The doors to the cage burst open. A flood of figures in tactical gear stormed in, their formation precise and ruthless. “Target secured.” Ethan’s gaze snapped to the woman leading them. She moved like a shadow, her icy blue eyes assessing him with an eerie calm. Her long, dark hair was tied in a tight ponytail, and she carried herself with an air of deadly efficiency. She spoke first, her voice cool and sharp. “Ethan Cross.” He squared his shoulders. “Who’s asking?” She didn’t flinch. "Lara. You need to come with us.” Ethan scoffed. “Yeah? And why would I do that?” Lara stepped closer, her expression unreadable. “Because you are the son of the King of the World.” Silence. Ethan stared at her, waiting for the punchline. When none came, he let out a dry laugh. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” She didn’t waver. “And yet, you feel it, don’t you? The power awakening within you. Your body no longer weak. The knowledge filling your mind.” Ethan’s jaw clenched. She wasn’t wrong. But this was insane. He crossed his arms. “Let’s say, for a second, that I believe you. Why the hell would my ‘father’ leave me to rot in some orphanage?” Lara’s gaze darkened. “Because he thought you were dead.” Ethan’s breath hitched. "Bullshit.” She remained composed. "He searched for you. For years. Enemies hid you, buried your identity, made sure you would never find your way back.” His mind raced. He had spent his entire life believing he was nothing, that he had no past, no future beyond what he scraped together. Now, this? He exhaled sharply. "And you expect me to just walk away with you?” She tilted her head. “You don’t have to believe me. But if you want answers—real answers—this is your chance.” His fingers brushed over the ring. The power inside him surged again, demanding to be acknowledged. He met Lara’s gaze. "Fine. But if this is some elaborate trick—” “It’s not.” She turned, signaling to her team. “Move out.” The soldiers stepped aside, clearing a path. Ethan hesitated for only a second before following them toward the waiting helicopters. As the rotors roared to life, he glanced back at the cage, at the dogs still watching him with reverence. He stepped off the helicopter, the cool night air brushing against his skin. His boots hit the marble floor of a massive estate, the sheer grandeur of it making his stomach twist. Towering pillars framed the entrance, golden chandeliers cast a soft glow over the polished floors, and a sense of absolute authority filled the space. But none of that mattered. Because the man standing before him looked exactly like him. Ethan froze, his heart hammering in his chest. It wasn’t just a resemblance—it was like staring into a mirror, except the man was older, his features sharper, more refined. His piercing golden eyes bore into Ethan, his silver-streaked hair neatly combed back, his stance exuding an aura of dominance that made it impossible to look away. The man smirked. "So, we finally meet.” Ethan’s fingers curled into fists. “Who the hell are you?” The man took a step forward, his gaze never wavering. “I am Magnus Aurelius. Your father.” Ethan let out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. My father? That’s funny, because my ‘father’ is dead. At least, that’s what I was told.” Magnus studied him, his expression unreadable. "They fed you lies. They took you from me. Buried your identity so deep that even I struggled to find you.” Ethan’s jaw clenched. "And what, you just moved on? Gave up?” Magnus exhaled, his gaze darkening. "I never stopped searching. But by the time I uncovered the truth, they had erased every trace of you.” His voice held an edge of something Ethan couldn’t quite place—regret? Pain? Ethan crossed his arms. “So why now? What changed?” Magnus smiled slightly. "You did.” His eyes flickered to Ethan’s hand, where the ring still faintly glowed. “Your bloodline awakened. That ring—it responded to you. Just like it did to me.” Ethan glanced at the ring, his pulse quickening. He didn’t understand any of this, but he couldn’t deny the shift inside him—the energy, the power. Magnus stepped closer. "You are not just Ethan Cross. You are Ethan Aurelius, my heir. And it’s time for you to take your rightful place.” Ethan scoffed. "Rightful place? As what?” Magnus’s smirk widened. "As the next King of the World.” Silence stretched between them. Ethan searched for any sign of a joke, but Magnus was completely serious. “You expect me to just accept this? To step into whatever empire you’ve built?” Ethan asked, voice sharp. Magnus didn’t hesitate. “Yes. And your first task is to take control of Aurelius Group.” He gestured toward Lara, who stood quietly nearby. “She will assist you as the CEO. But from this moment on, you are the owner.” Ethan’s mind struggled to catch up with what he had just heard. Magnus spoke as if he were handing over a mere department, but Aurelius Pharmaceuticals Group was no ordinary company. It was a powerhouse, a titan in the Pharmaceutical world—one of the most influential corporations in the country. Even top elites fought tooth and nail to gain its favor, yet Magnus was handing it to him like it was nothing more than a formality. And despite its staggering influence, Aurelius Pharmaceuticals Group was still just a subsidiary of the Aurelius Conglomerate—a mere fraction of the empire Magnus controlled. The weight of it settled on Ethan’s shoulders, but beneath the disbelief, something else flickered—power, responsibility, and the knowledge that from this moment forward, everything had changed. However, his brows furrowed. “I don’t know the first thing about running a business.” Magnus smirked. "You don’t have to. Not yet. You’ll learn. Observe. You have the instincts, Ethan. It’s in your blood.” Ethan swallowed hard. Every part of him screamed that this was insane. But deep down, something stirred—a sense of belonging he had never felt before. Magnus reached into his pocket and tossed something at him. Instinctively, Ethan caught it. A sleek, jet-black card. “There’s no limit,” Magnus said smoothly. “Use it however you see fit.” Ethan stared at the card, his mind spinning. Magnus placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “The world is yours to take, Ethan. The only question is… will you?”
Latest Chapter
Chapter 116
The silver Bentley rolled to a stop in front of the Hayes mansion, its headlights cutting through the darkness before fading to black. For a long moment, Mr. Hayes remained slumped behind the wheel, his breathing shallow and pained.With trembling fingers, he pushed open the car door. The simple act sent sharp pain shooting through his ribs. He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled beneath him like a newborn calf's. When his feet finally touched the ground, a groan escaped his lips. "Damn that Ethan," he whispered, tasting blood on his split lip.After being thrown out like garbage out of Chairman Aurelius estate, he had been forced to walk half a mile to where he'd parked his car, each step agony as his bruised body protested.Under the soft glow of the mansion's exterior lights, the extent of his injuries became visible. His suit was torn and dirty, his left eye swollen, and dark patches of blood stained his once-white shirt. A trail of dried blood ran from his nose to his chin
Chapter 115
Mr. Hayes flinched visibly but quickly composed himself. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, shaking his head firmly. "Good." Ethan nodded, a knowing smirk spreading across his face. "Keep playing dumb. It suits you." He stood up slowly, circling the chair where Mr. Hayes sat rigid with tension. "You know what I find most amusing about all this? How easily you toss aside even your own family." He stopped directly behind Mr. Hayes. "Your own flesh and blood, discarded like yesterday's trash the moment they become inconvenient."Mr. Hayes gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. "Are you talking about Vivian? Damian's brother?" His shoulders squared slightly. "My decisions, including disowning Damian, are my way of teaching them a lesson for their failures and not following my guidance." "What’s wrong with that?” he asked, letting a hint of confidence slip into his voice. "What's wrong with that?" Ethan repeated, almost laughing. "Then tell me, what's wr
Chapter 114
As Ethan told the story to Mr. Hayes, his knuckles turned bone-white, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his skin.His voice trembled—not from weakness, but from the weight of betrayal—as it clicked that he had been soft. Way too soft.The so-called revenge he’d been dishing out on Vanessa and Damian? That wasn’t even a fraction of what they’d done to him. He had been holding back, probably because deep down, some part of him still wanted to believe they weren’t completely heartless.But the memory he had just shared with Mr. Hayes, along with everything that had happened with Vanessa and Damian before he started tearing their world apart, proved otherwise.Mr. Hayes watched him closely the whole time, staying silent and listening to every word. Finally, he cleared his throat.“They really did all that to you?” he asked softly.Ethan straightened up in his seat and gave a small, bitter smile before looking directly at Mr. Hayes. “Yes,” he said simply. "They did.”
Chapter 113
Ethan chuckled. "Mercy? As how?""Ever since the scandal, the stock of not just Hayes Pharmaceutical but Copper Group has been in freefall,” Mr. Hayes explained, words tumbling out faster now."Crisis has been happening behind the scenes that the public doesn't know about yet. It's only a matter of time before everyone realizes we're worth nothing."He ran a trembling hand over his face. "I've spent every remaining resource and penny the family has to try to make the charges against the company go away. Just disowning Damian wasn't enough. And to make things worse, investors have been pulling out one by one, and the board of directors is losing trust and hope in my leadership."His voice cracked. "Only Chairman Aurelius can help me and my family now because I know he has the resources, influences, and power to make it happen.""And since you’re obviously close to him, maybe you could get him to help me and forget what my stupid, estranged son did with his greedy attitude."Ethan let t
Chapter 112
Ethan tilted his head slightly, his expression shifting to one of innocent confusion—a perfect mask that hid the satisfaction bubbling underneath."Why are you on your knees again, Mr. Hayes? Please, there's no need for that anymore."Mr. Hayes remained where he was, his hands clasped together as if in prayer. His voice trembled with desperate sincerity. "It's because my family and I need your forgiveness and mercy. We need it desperately."Ethan's eyebrows rose slightly, his performance flawless. "Forgiveness? Mercy? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.""Please," Mr. Hayes continued, his eyes never leaving Ethan's face."I had no idea until today about the connection between my son and you. I swear it.”"Please, on behalf of my family, forgive us. Please."A smirk played on Ethan's lips as he tilted his head thoughtfully. "Your son?" He paused, as if something had just occurred to him. "Oh, you mean Damian? Your ex-son, the one you've now disowned?"Mr. Hayes nodded
Chapter 111
Seated across from each other in leather chairs in the living room, Mr. Hayes couldn’t contain himself any longer; his words tumbled out like water breaking through a dam.“Ethan, seriously, thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me that you actually want to listen when Chairman—”Ethan laughed. “Come on, don’t even start. Honestly, I should be the one apologizing for the way those idiots treated you. It was embarrassing.”Mr. Hayes shook his head. "No.""They were just doing their job. No need to apologize.”Ethan watched the Mr. Hayes with a relaxed smile, enjoying the desperation that seemed to pour from every pore. "So, about—""Before we get to business, Mr. Hayes..." Ethan cut in. "What would you like to drink? We have an excellent scotch that I think you'd appreciate. Or perhaps something softer?"Mr. Hayes shook his head, his eyes darting nervously. "No, no, I don't need anything. Please, I just want to discuss the situation. Time is running out for me."Ethan's sm
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